The deadline to apply for the 2020 cohort is August 28, 2020. To be considered, applicants should submit a completed application packet that includes resume, unofficial transcript, list of three references, statement of interest with practice plan.
Participants will be selected by members of the RPI advisory committee, which includes judges and rural attorneys. The candidates who submit the strongest applications will be invited to interview with the committee.
Participants will be selected based on the following criteria:
- Graduation date – priority will be given to December 2019 / May 2020 graduates;
- Strength, vision, and innovation nature of practice plan;
- Applicant’s commitment to solo practice and the program goals of public service and increasing access to justice;
- Applicant’s connection to and experience working with/or in their proposed client community. High priority will be given to applicants who plan to live in the community they intend to serve;
- Applicant’s prior work history, educational history, or volunteer experience;
- Applicant’s personal strengths and track record of teamwork, grit, innovation, resilience, service, and/or entrepreneurial spirit.
The training bootcamp will occur during the fall of 2020.
The following items must be submitted at the same time that you submit this form:
- A current resume
- A current unofficial transcript
- A typed statement of interest and practice plan, no longer than ten pages total, double-spaced, addressing the following questions:
- Why do you want to be a rural solo or small firm practitioner in your chosen community? (if applicable, discuss how a former work experience in the legal profession [either through an externship, internship, clinic program, or prior work experience] influenced your decision to start your own practice in this community.)
- Why should you be selected to participate in the incubator program?
- How can the incubator program help you in meeting your goals?
- Describe the community where you plan to open your practice, including the current legal market and notable community demographics and unmet legal needs.
- Explain your connection to and experience working with/or in your proposed client community.
- Describe your plan for providing services in your proposed community including the type of practice you plan to develop (solo or small firm), your substantive areas of focus, and the clientele you will serve.
- Describe how and the extent to which you expect to serve underrepresented, low- and moderate-income members of the community (including providing pro bono and “low bono” representation) and how, if at all, you anticipate using alternative delivery methods in your provision of legal services (e.g., unbundling, sliding-scale fee structures, etc.). For more information on options, see: http://www.law.pitt.edu/incubator/toolbox
All of these items should be in PDF form so they can be attached to this application.